Back when we lived in Minnesota, soups were a regular lunch rotation while I suffered through winters.

Now that winter = 60 degrees, I find myself forgetting to make soups and stews, always waiting until it “cools down just a bit more.” Well, no more. I figured that since my office always feels cold, there’s no reason to wait until it cools down.

The (very hot!) day I decided to make this soup, I watched Giada make a Vegetable & Barley Soup and I took two things from the episode: 1) Use a parmesan rind to help flavor soup (which I’ve always meant to do) and 2) Use the sausage as a topping instead of letting it simmer in the soup.

Like any good lunch or dinner – it’s healthy and tasty!

I wanted the soup to be full of vegetables as well as a good source of protein and fiber. So it’s simple. Fill the soup with tender-crisp vegetables and throw in some chicken sausage for a protein boost, it’s a filling combo. It happens to be gluten-free and paleo, if you’re into those things!

Because personally, I love using the slow cooker all year long, but in the fall and winter, weekends just don’t seem complete unless there is an intoxicating smell of something slowly cooking away in the kitchen. And we are all in fall mode, right?

I’ve had quite the history with slow cookers. I don’t think we used them much growing up, so it wasn’t something I was especially used to. Then my brother gave me a camouflage slow cooker for Christmas one year that I deemed way “too hick” (I’m sorry!!!!) for my “sophisticated palette.” Oh the naivety. (To defend myself a bit, the gift was a joke and while my brother was a big fan of the slow cooker and I’m 92% certain that he and his roommates were cooking items they had personally hunted…like squirrels. I didn’t really think I had a use for it, being that I was a city dweller.) The moral of the story is this: I returned that camouflage slow cooker to K-Mart and then found myself buying a stainless steel version a few years later.

I’ve been hooked ever since.

Years ago, I created a few asian-inspired slow cooker recipes (crock pot asian chicken, crock pot asian beef), which have been quite popular over the years, but it was time to revisit the concept, with some different cuts of meat and different flavors. I love this version because it’s made with really simple ingredients and it couldn’t be easier!

This honey soy chicken takes a few minutes of prep, a few hours in the slow cooker and before you know it, you’ll be eating a flavorful, healthy meal. The chicken thighs practically shred themselves. The rice soaks up the delicious sauce you don’t want to leave on your plate. The broccoli is a) something green and b) so tasty! It’s a complete meal the entire family will enjoy.

It’s officially lunch week over here. A few weeks ago, we had breakfast week and I guess that means dinner week should be next! We’re starting things off with a superb curried chicken salad (it’s perfect over greens and easily made ahead of time) and later this week, I’ll be sharing a ton of ideas on what to pack for lunches – ideas designed for both kids and adults!

So the curried chicken salad.

The location of my office? It’s a good one. (Except that the four mile drive can take 30-40+ minutes on a bad day!)

A visit to the mall = a visit to madewell = spending too much money. So I just avoid it all together, as much as humanly possible.

In addition to some great stores, this mall has an incredible food court. It’s honestly the best food court EVER! I normally stick with the same greek salad, but recently I branched out and had lunch from Coral Tree Cafe.

They make a classic curried chicken salad, served over greens. So perfect. I had to have it every day for lunch the following week. The curry sauce is creamy and so flavorful, but the raisins make this salad. I am not normally a raisin fan, but in this version, they are the sweet bite this salad needs.

Chicken salads are a favorite of mine because they can be made ahead of time and served with a simple salad for a healthy, protein-packed and easy lunch. And curried chicken salad just might be my favorite of the bunch. A hint of spice, a touch of exotic and a little excitement to 1pm on Wednesday.

(I changed up my site over the weekend, so if you’re on a reader, click through to check it out! It was planned for a few weeks from now, but after some major issues last week, I decided to go for it early. I’m still working on a few things, and unfortunately crossing my fingers a bit at this point that everything works as it is supposed to, but it’s close!)

Enough of the tech talk, let’s get on to the good stuff. Healthy Taco Pizza is today’s topic!

This latest creation is another kid-friendly meal that I think the entire family will love. It’s hard not to.

I obviously don’t have kids of my own yet, but I have this laughable idea that my toddlers are going to love quinoa and kale. (They will, right?!)

Ok, that might be a stretch and while I’m still going to hold out hope, I do know that kids like tacos. And that kids like pizzas. In fact, everyone does – adults included!

Taco pizzas are one of those meals that are filling, tasty and pretty healthy as well! To lighten things up, I use a tortilla for the crust, which also creates built-in portion control. If you’re really concerned with the calories and fat in ground beef, by all means, swap it out for extra-lean turkey.

As the GIF below illustrates, you top the tortilla with beans, cheese, ground beef and then layer on the fresh toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion and a drizzle of sour cream. (Hot sauce is good too!)

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef to pan and break up with a spatula. Continue to break up meat into smaller pieces as it browns, about 5 minutes. Add taco seasoning and cook another minute.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Toast tortillas in oven, flip after 5 minutes and cook another 5 minutes until golden brown.

Hi, I’m Emily

I love simple, delicious food that happens to be healthy. And that's what I share here! My husband and I live in Los Angeles (but are both from the Midwest) and I work at an anti-hunger nonprofit. Read More…